A Colorado State Patrol car is severely damaged after it was hit by a Ford F-250 pickup truck. The State Patrol trooper in the car was injured. A tow truck driver who was on scene with the State Patrol trooper was killed in the crash.

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A tow truck driver was killed when he was hit by a pickup truck about 1 p.m. Saturday while he was helping to clear wreckage from an earlier crash just south of Fort Lupton.

The crash also injured a State Patrol trooper.

Colorado State Patrol spokesman Sgt. Mike Baker said that the tow truck was parked in the left lane with its amber directional lights on, loaded with the vehicle from the previous crash. A State Patrol vehicle also was parked in the left lane with its amber directional lights on, and a trooper was inside the vehicle. It is unknown at this time whether the patrol vehicle’s red and blue lights were on, because of the damage to the patrol car.

The crash happened on U.S. 85 about a half-mile north of Weld County Road 6 when a Ford F-250 pickup truck driven by 61-year-old Dana Beales of Fort Lupton was headed southbound on U.S. 85 and approached the trooper from behind in the left lane. It appears Beales did not slow down or move. He collided with the State Patrol vehicle, forcing it across the right lane and off the right side of the road. The F-250 then collided with the tow truck operator, who was sweeping debris off the road. The F-250 stopped about 20 feet short of the tow truck, which was not part of the crash.

The speed limit on that stretch of U.S. 85 is 65 mph and troopers told Tribune media partner 7News the pickup truck could have been traveling that fast.

The trooper was flown to Denver Health with moderate, non-life threatening injuries. Beales was transported to Platte Valley Medical Center in Brighton with minor injuries.

The tow truck driver was identified as Martin Braden, 47, of Aurora. He was pronounced dead at the scene at 1:41 p.m., according to Weld County Coroner Mark Ward. Braden is the 28th person to die on Weld County roads so far this year. Through Aug. 24 of last year, 26 people had died.

Baker said the name of the trooper will be released today.

Beales has not yet been charged, but is in contact with State Patrol and will be charged, though Baker said he didn’t know what charges Beales would face.

Authorities closed U.S. 85 in both directions at Weld County Road 6 for about an hour and a half before they reopened one northbound lane. All lanes were fully reopened about 6:30 p.m.

Baker reminded drivers that state law requires them to move over when they see flashing lights, and many motorists don’t follow that law.

“We’re sick of it,” he told 7News. “These tow operators, we work with them every day. They’re our partners. They’re our friends. We’re tired of it. It’s not acceptable for these accidents to happen anymore.